1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrow with an embedded deployable RFID tag, and to the methods of using and tracking the same in order to improve tracking of an animal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Game tracking is a required hunting skill. Sometimes, the tracking involves visual cues such as spotting blood drops. Yet, if a wound does not bleed out, or only intermittently bleeds out, then the task of tracking utilizing this technique can be quite difficult. To overcome the limitations inherent to tracking a blood trail, several products have been developed. Some examples include:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,030 to Magee is titled Method Of and System For Conducting a Hunting Tournament or Contest Utilizing Passive Transponder Identification. As the title suggests, the patent teaches that passive transponders are inserted subcutaneously into the game to be harvested. Tagged animals are released back into their natural habitat. The hunting portion of the tournament is conducted. Animals harvested during the hunting tournament are brought in and scanned. The passive transponder, if present, responds to the scanning by transmitting an identification code. The code transmitted by the passive transponder is used to determine the prize the hunter is awarded. Hunter identification tags can be distributed to all participants in the hunting tournament and be used to tag the harvested animal. The passive transponder can be constructed to respond only to a particular scanning device. While this patent may prove useful for its intended purposes, it does not appear useful in the wild, when game cannot be pre-tagged.
United States published application by Pridmore, Jr. et al., having publication number 2005/0231362 is titled Apparatus Carrying a Mounted RFID Circuit for the Purpose of Deploying and Generating a Tracking Signal (Post Shot Only) From an Arrow. While this publication shows a wire hub, an RFID PCB and a carrier housing, its design can be improved upon.
United States published application by Russell et al., having publication number 2010/0035709 is titled Method for Employing a Tracking Device with an Arrow. This patent teaches a two part arrow employing a tracking device used to track wounded game animals. When the hunting broad head engages a game animal, a separating slide mechanism that encircles the anterior arrow segment slides toward the rear of the arrow catching the lever component of the release mechanism secured inside the posterior arrow segment releasing the broad head and anterior arrow segment from the posterior arrow segment. A retainer housed in the anterior arrow segment springs open and engages the animal. An attachment device connects the retainer to the release mechanism ensuring that the posterior arrow segment and the signaling component located in the posterior arrow segment remain tethered to the animal. A special separating shaft appears to be required for use with this invention. Many hunters have grown accustomed to a particular brand of shaft, and accordingly would be reluctant to utilize a different shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,245 to Bittle, Jr. is titled Arrow/Wounded Animal Tracking Device. It illustrates a miniaturized electronic transmitter tracking device for mounting on the shaft of a hunting arrow. An integral membrane or diaphragm attaches the transmitter to the arrow in the preferred embodiment and allows the transmitter to break away from the arrow when the arrow strikes some object. A membrane switch is activated when the face plate of the device impacts the animal. Barbed points are driven into the surface of the struck animal by the force of the impact, thus firmly attaching the device to the object. In its preferred embodiment, the transmitter device is used in conjunction with a base receiver to determine the transmitter's location after the arrow has been fired.
While each of these products may work well for their intended purposes, the each nevertheless could be improved upon.
In particular, these references fail to show a product that can be used in-line with existing products between the head and the shaft.
These references fail to show an RFID tag that is deployable on an embedder. Further, none show an embedder that is released automatically upon the arrow striking the target.
These references fail to show a safety, whereby the arrow can be used in practice without the RFID tag being deployed.
Thus there exists a need for an invention that solves these and other problems.